Upcoming Local Races in Prospect Park

Plenty to talk about, but let's just focus on three, all in the local park.

Tomorrow (Sunday), the Valentine's Day 5K takes place, starting at Bartel Pritchard Square. Online registration has closed, but it looks like you can register on site for $30

Next Sunday is the annual Cherry Tree 3-person relay/10 mile run, sponsored by PPTC. Last I heard registration was filling up fast, tho keep an eye on the PPTC.org website

And finally the Al Gordon 4-mile run on Feb. 25 is nearing capacity, but slots are still open.

Brooklyn Half Registration *Not* on Monday

While most other NYRR races for April - June will open on Monday, the Brooklyn Half will not, according to a Facebook post from NYRR. And in fact the calendar (once you find it on the newly redesigned site) says that Brooklyn Half registration is "TBD"

Obviously things could change -- one plausible reason is that NYRR doesn't want to flood the site on that day (since most of us will be going just for that race.) The May 19 half is also a club points race, which means it's possible that members of clubs may get preference to enter? (That's just a guess though). Either way, stay vigilant.

Manhattan Half Now a Fun Run

Posted on the NYRR site:

Manhattan Half-Marathon Update

In the interest of safety, and in consultation with NYC Parks and Recreation, the Manhattan Half-Marathon on January 21 will be an unscored (non-competitive) event . All registered entrants who are members of NYRR will receive 9+1 qualifying credit toward their guaranteed entry requirements for the ING New York City Marathon 2013. You do not have to run the race to receive this credit. Runners should use caution in traveling to and from the event, and at all times before, during, and after your run, including dressing for the conditions. NYRR thanks you for your support of our events!

Random Thoughts as the New Year Begins

Congrats to all the hardy runners who were out for the New Year's Eve runs in Central and Prospect parks (not to mention the Prospect Parkers who ran the club's Harry's Handicap race and then jumped in the water in Coney Island.)

*Don't send me pictures of the latter - I've seen them on Facebook already :-)

*Lots of interesting articles in the NYTimes recently, including the magazine cover story this week about losing weight, GPS watches not tracking accurately (that's a surprise?), other uses of McCarren Park's track (though where's the NBR mention!!), the challenges of elite athletes finding sponsors, how older runners perform

*My New Year's Day run was on the Brooklyn Bridge from the southern end of the Promenade. Mindful of the GPS inaccuracies, my new Garmin 210 showed that the Promenade is almost exactly 1/3 of a mile, and the run to the end of the Brooklyn Bridge is 1.93 miles.

*Speaking of which, song of the day that powered me (mentally) over the bridge, since I don't wear earphones outside: Gavin DeGraw's "Not Over You"

*NYRR Manhattan Half is closed, out, but still plenty of spots for the Joe Kleinerman 10K on Jan. 7

*For the speedsters among us, don't forget the indoor track races upcoming

*A reminder: 2012 Olympic marathon trials are in Houston this year. Brooklyn's Kelly Chin will be among those running.

*The Jets are done and the Pats clinched home-field advantage (cool). Good luck Giants tonight.

2012 Brooklyn Half: Qualifier for NYC Marathon

Passing along a reference in the fine print to this year's qualifying standards (note they change in 2013):

"You must have met the appropriate qualifying time between January 1, 2011 and January 31, 2012 (2012 NYC Half, Boston Marathon, and NYRR Brooklyn Half-Marathon times will also be accepted). Include the race name and date with your application."

Something to keep in mind if you don't get in via lottery.

$216 for NY Marathon?

Sigh, it's true (and more if you're not a member). Reminder, however, that the NYC Half was on the high end, so we shouldn't be surprised. NYC is hurting, and it's passing along fee increases - and the NYC Marathon is passing it along to us as well.

Given the demand to get into the race, this is definitely a sustainable price (think about the prices for Broadway productions), so don't expect a reduction.

One request for NYRR: Disclose how much you are paying for appearance fees, and how that has changed over the years. To keep the elite athletes coming here is a deliberate (and defensible) decision. However, if that's the reason why the fees are being boosted, then tell the running community that.

I'm pretty sure there are more expensive marathons in the U.S. (My readers will confirm - and I will research!) But this certainly is one of the highest.

On that note: Happy New Year! My apologies for the scarcity of posts over the past few months - ironically, an increased focus on running contributed. 2012, I'm hoping to get back to a regular posting, including race results and a renewed focus on local runners.

Changes in Empire State Building Race Entries

Still processing, but note that entries open tomorrow at noon, closes Sunday

*Evening race
*$100 entry fee
*Non-elite runners put in a lottery
*Entry field limited to 600 participants (roughly)